Washington University School of Medicine Oral Histories
John D. Davidson Oral History
Interviewer
William R. Massa, Jr., MA
Summary
John D. Davidson was interviewed by William R. Massa on May 13, 1977 for approximately 62 minutes.
Scope and Content
Davidson discusses his experiences as a medical student at Washington University School of Medicine, his internship at St. Louis City Hospital, and his fellowship in Cardiology at the National Heart Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, which involved the study of hypertension. Davidson discusses research at St. Luke's Hospital on treatments to decrease the amount of heart damage after a heart attack. Davidson also discusses changes in medical education from the late 1940s and early 1950s to the mid-1970s, and medical malpractice insurance and Medicaid problems facing physicians in the 1970s.
Biographical Information: Interviewee
John D. Davidson was born in 1927. He received his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in 1952. In 1957 he joined the clinical faculty of the school. Davidson became director of the Division of Hyperbaric Medicine, St. Luke's Hospital, in 1974.
Biographical Information: Interviewer
William R. Massa, Jr. was an archivist at the Smithsonian Institution Archives in Washington, DC from 1977-1988 and archivist at Yale University from 1988 to 2020. He earned a BA from Elizabethtown College and an MA from the University of Wisconsin (Madison).
Interview Date
1977-05-13
Collection Identifier
OH032
Length
Approximately 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Restrictions
Users wishing to publish (in whole, or in part) content taken from the audio or transcript of this oral history interview must request, sign, and return a Statement of Use form to the Becker Archives. For detailed information regarding publication and use of this oral history, contact the Becker Archives (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).
Recommended Citation
John D. Davidson Oral History, OH032, Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.
Disclaimer
The Becker Archives provides access to this oral history interview as a record of the past. This interview reflects the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of the interview participants, which may reflect outdated, biased, and offensive views and opinions. The Becker Archives does not endorse the views expressed in this interview, which may contain materials offensive to some users.
